When to use a blog vs. a discussion thread in MOSS 2007 / WSS 3.0

MOSS 2007 and WSS 3.0 now include blog capability.  Given that the features of the SharePoint discussion thread and blog are essentially the same, and that blogs are being promoted for uses that typically were covered by discussion threads, how do you know when to use a discussion thread vs. a blog?

The answer seems to come down to philosophy more than functionality.  Upshot – discussion threads are objective in nature, associated with a single topic, project or purpose, and don’t emphasize the individual.  Blogs are subjective in nature, may cover many unrelated topics, and are owned and controlled by an individual (or small team).

See below for a detailed comparison of functional and conceptual features of discussion threads and blogs.

Functional Features

                        

Property	Discussion thread	Weblog
Structure	List.  Can easily be added to home page via a web part.  Can be viewed via RSS.	List within a Site.  Must use RSS or page viewer web part to display on a home page.
Alerts	Yes, on entire list and on individual items	Yes, on entire list and on  individual items
Fields / Columns	Default fields are Subject, Body (rich text editable), Created by & Modified date.  Additional/custom columns can be added. Custom metadata applies to replies as well as initial post.	Default fields are Subject, Body (rich text editable), Category, and Published (rather than Modified). Additional/custom columns can be added. Category & custom metadata fields only apply to initial post; comments are not tagged with metadata.
Replies / Comments	Drop-down from item, or “reply” button when viewing full record. Has rich-text editable body. Subject is already included on reply. Acts like an e-mail, with original post appended to the bottom.	Must click on “comments” link under the post.  Has Title & Body (no rich text). Must (re-)enter title when commenting.
Capacity	Body and Reply have unlimited ( i.e. not 255 char.) text	Body and Comment / reply have unlimited ( i.e. not 255 char.) text
Display	Default is reverse chron, but a view can be created for any desired order.	Default is reverse chron, but a view can be created for any desired order.
Security / rights	Both are managed exactly the same way. Replies can be approved before submission.  Repliers can delete their own replies.	Both are managed exactly the same way. Comments can be approved before submission. Commenters can delete their own comments.
E-mail access	(assumed)	(unknown)
Hyperlinks can be inserted?	Yes.	Yes.
Images can be inserted?	Yes, if already uploaded to a website.	Yes, if already uploaded to a website.
HTML can be edited	Yes.	Yes.

Conceptual Features

Concept	Discussion thread	Weblog
Microsoft’s positioning	Collaboration tool.  “Newsgroup-style discussions on topics relevant to your team.”	Communication tool.  “Blogs offer an immediate, impromptu, and simple means of expressing ideas that a user can publish for others to read.”
Metaphor	“Everyone contributes.”  Discussion boards have a universal class of users on a system "owned" by someone else. The creation of content is a collaborative affair. A thread is started with the end product in mind.	“Blogger initiates then everyone contributes.” A blog is a personal, individual creation that is "owned" and controlled by the blogger. A user creates a portfolio of their own work and ideas, with appended comments from others. Note: occasionally team blogs are used for multiple authors to address a single audience.
Focus	Project or topic oriented.	Personal – the blogger chooses the subject.  Postings may be unrelated.
Identity	Team- or goal- oriented, the individual is not important.	Bloggers develop an online identity over time.  There is a personal connection with the material created and a desire to create identity.
Safety	The more objective nature of the thread means sense of safety is not as much of an issue.	Putting out subjective content carries the risk of feeling attacked by commenters.  There is also uncertainty about who is the audience – who will read and respond?  Yet a blog is a protected space where the blogger has control – can delete unwanted comments, etc.
Style	No emphasis on personal style.	Like identity, a blogger’s personal style is emphasized, and develops over time.
Ownership	When a project ends, the discussion thread is closed.  User follows rules and patterns of the institutionalized discussion space.	Ongoing nature of the content is in the blogger’s control.  The blogger creates their own image of their audience.

Resources: 

Donna Cameron, Terry Anderson:  Comparing Weblogs to Threaded Discussion Tools in Online Educational Contexts

http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Nov_06/article01.htm

Microsoft:  Using Blogs & Wikis in Business

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sharepoint/techref/blogs.mspx

Paul Speaks:  Blog vs. Discussion Board

http://advtraining.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/blog-vs-discussion-board/